This invention relates generally to exercise equipment and more particularly to a hand and foot pedal apparatus with a seat that is readily moved by its user.
While conventional hand and/or foot pedal exercise machines are designed to be accessible to users, they often incorporate features that require significant strength, dexterity, and multiple extremities to adjust. These features make it difficult for someone with limited mobility or dexterity to effectively use the machine. For example, a wheelchair-bound person may not be able to position himself or herself while removing a seat to gain access for the wheelchair.
While traditional hand and/or foot pedal exercise machines offer the physical space needed to accommodate a wheelchair user, they do not accommodate standing, seated, and wheelchair users of exercise machines. On machines that accommodate wheelchair and non-wheelchair users, the ease of use to transition from one setup to the other is poor, and often requires the assistance of another person. Therefore, there is a need for an all-inclusive hand and leg bicycle exercise machine that can be independently used with ease regardless of size, age, mobility or fitness levels and from a standing, seated and wheelchair position.
It is therefore desirable to have a hand and foot pedaling machine that can be easily and effectively used by handicapped individuals and non-handicapped individuals alike that is able to facilitate a wide variety of different exercises, and adjust with very little strength or dexterity required.